Repair Project Underway at Island Beach State Park

A major repair project of the north jetty at Barnegat Inlet, which protects the southern tip of state-owned Island Beach State Park in Ocean County, is currently underway, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District awarded a $7.6 million contract for the project to Agate Construction Company of Clermont in Cape May County. Throughout the spring, a barge, cranes and other equipment were mobilized and work began on the project last month.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DEP anticipate the repair project, which will see the stabilization of approximately 740 feet of the jetty on the north side of the inlet that was battered by Superstorm Sandy, to be completed this winter. The project is funded by through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, also referred to as the Sandy Relief Bill.

“This is a much-needed project that will deal with severe damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, and which will result in a more resilient shoreline when the work is done,” said Commissioner Martin. “The Army Corps is committed to moving as quickly as possible to get the job done and have the inlet fully reopened to our residents and visitors.”

“For the duration of the project, we ask for patience from park users, as this jetty area will be closed for the safety of our visitors,” said Island Beach State Park manager Ray Bukowski, “But all other mobile sport access points for Island Beach State Park remain open to permit holders.”

Superstorm Sandy caused the displacement of jetty stones along a 740-foot portion of the north jetty that borders Island Beach State Park’s shoreline. The openings between the jetty stones had been allowing a flow of sand and water which ultimately could have caused shoaling in Barnegat Inlet and erosion at southern most beach area of Island Beach State Park.

The ongoing work involves rebuilding the cross-section of the jetty using existing capstone, supplemented with additional capstone, corestone, slushed concrete and stone-filled mattresses.

The Barnegat Inlet north jetty was first constructed in 1940 and raised in elevation in 1974. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredged the inlet last July. The inlet requires dredging to provide a safe and reliable navigation channel for the U.S. Coast Guard and a large fishing fleet consisting of full-time commercial, charter and recreational vessels.

Shaped by storms and tides, Island Beach State Park is a narrow barrier island stretching for 10 miles between the ocean and Barnegat Bay. It is one of New Jersey’s last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem and is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast.